TeamHeartbroken
by LittleMissMidnight
Summary: They were just two simple people in love. One in a loving marriage and another about to walk down the aisle. One night suddenly changed that as they met up in the most unconventional places. With their hearts shattered they stick side by side until they got better. But they didn't want to fall in love again like this, not while Haru was still married to Rin. HaruGou. RinHaru.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Haru's eyes pierced through the glass window. His silence didn't bother the gossipers around him as they chatted with smiles on their faces. Haru only stared with a worried expression. His blue ocean eyes stared as he watched Rin and Sosuke chatting away, laughing away with a drink in their own hands. Haru watched on, elbow on the table and resting his chin in the palm of his hand and his fingers restlessly tapping the table.

Haru waited until his eyes met with Rin's. The red head man paused alongside Sosuke as he gave off a warm smile. Haru's expression didn't change.

"Haru!" A cheerful voice caught the man off guard as he felt the vibration of drinks slammed onto the table. It was no other but Nagisa that had greeted him. "Why on earth are you looking so gloomy at my party?"

"Oh, was I?" Accepting the drink, "Sorry."

Taking a seat next to Haru, he fanned his hand at Haru with a smile. "Don't worry. I mean, it is getting late."

Haruka sat with Nagisa by his side, chatting away to his others guests as he continued to watch Rin. Something felt wrong, and it had been for a long time coming.

The night over them hung out long as the full moon's glow feel over the garden party. Everyone he knew had arrived to celebrate Nagisa's birthday. Haru recalled when Rei told him his plan to him and Rin, asking help to keep the party from Nagisa a secret. Haru smiled at how much Rei adored his boyfriend so much that he would hold such a huge party for him.

The sliding doors that opened wide soon showed two people that had just arrived, Makoto and Gou. Haruka watched as he saw Gou bowing down many times in front of Rei saying sorry at how late they were. Makoto tried to calm Gou down and finally was able to as she handed her gift to Rei. Soon her gaze met with his and Nagisa beside him as she gave off a huge smile and waved over.

"Gou-chan!" Nagisa waved both his arms in the air. It was hard to believe he was turned twenty eight. "Gou-chan!" He repeated.

Running over Gou can ran towards Haru and Nagisa. Gou held Nagisa's hands as both jumped in their spots like little children. "Happy birthday!" She cheered.

"Thanks for coming!" Nagisa cheered alongside Gou. Haruka watched as Makoto took a seat to the right of him.

"Hey Haru." Makoto greeted.

Quiet at first, "You look tired Makoto." Haru glared.

The man laughed, "You always read me like a book."

Haru sighed. "It's written all over your face." Haru soon turned back to watching Sosuke and Rin talking and noticed how close they were to each other. Makoto noticed Haru's state.

"Haru?" Makoto began. "Is something the matter?"

Haruka looked at his childhood friend and resumed his drink. He looked away and tried to focus his attention to another matter. "So how are you and Gou?"

Makoto sighed; he knew Haru was not the type to open up so easily.

"Fine. In fact we just received her wedding dress today. That's why we are a little late."

Haruka looked at Rin's younger sister. He could just tell from her facial expressions and the tone of her voice on how excited she was for her very own wedding, just like he was nine years ago. Of course he wasn't as good as showing excitement like Gou or Nagisa could but the feeling was the same. Haruka smiled and turned to Makoto.

"She's lucky to have you."

Makoto smile soon turned into a nervous chuckle. He crossed his arms and looked away from his best friend, "That's the problem. She's _too good."_

Haruka looked away and took another sip of his drink that Nagisa offered awhile back. He needed to be in the water. He didn't want to think about _those thoughts._

* * *

Guests left one by one as both Nagisa and Rei stood by the door, greeting them their thanks and goodbyes. Haru's fascination with water never left him, even now in his thirties as he watched the rain drops run down his side car window. He closed his eyes as he turned the volume as let the music echo all around him, hoping it would drown his negative thoughts away.

"No, Rin couldn't. He isn't like that but…" His eyes half lit, "These last two years have been rough but it's getting better…right?" Haru shook his head and turns the music a little more loudly and pulled the leaver by the side of the car seat and leaned back.

Raising his hand up, Haru stared at the ring on his finger. It was a simple gold and shined bright. Nine years. Nine years he has stuck it out with Rin. Nine years he had stuck with Rin as his _husband._

Despite the music being on so loud Haru heard a couple of knocks on his side window. Turning the music down Haru removed the fog from the window and scrolled it down before noticing it was Gou. She was holding her umbrella as he saw Makoto in his car, waiting for Gou to finish up with him.

"Gou?" He asked. "Why are you here? Where is your brother?"

"His just saying his goodbyes to Nagisa and Rei."

"I see, but why are you here?"

Gou looked away, "It's just been awhile now. I thought I could keep you company until Rin comes back."

Haru smiles at Gou's nice gesture. "Your too kind Gou but Makoto is waiting for you. I can wait for my husband here."

"Alright Haruka." Gou nodded and took her leave. She looked to her left and right before running to the other side where Makato was waiting for her.

That girl was always looking out for him and the others, ever since they reunited back in high school. The man smiled and was glad that Gou never lost her need to help others to the best of her ability.

His good mood was covered with insecurity quickly when he noticed his husband hanging with Sosuke once again. He could see how close their bodies were and how deadly close their hands where from touching. As soon Rin saw his husband watching back with a look that could kill he acted as if he been caught doing the wrong thing and quickly patted Sosuke's shoulder and waved a quick goodbye.

The passenger door quickly opened as Rin made his way in quickly to avoid getting wet. Closing his umbrella he stretched over and gave a quick kiss on Haru's cheek as he closed the door.

"Sorry I took so long."

With a glare, Haruka spoke no more and started to car up and started to drive out of the parking spot and onto the long stretch of road.

Rin kept on staring as he locked in his seat beat. Rin knew Haru wasn't in a good mood as he drove with those cold empty eyes of his, one arm on the window sill and another on the wheel. There was silence between them for a couple of minutes with only the radio announcers providing them with a conversation.

"Haru?" Rin began. "Are you alright?"

"So how was the party?" Haru dived into a new topic. "You were sure away for most of it." Still avoiding any eye contact with his husband.

"I was mainly hanging around with Rei and Sosuke. We were talking about what we were doing for the last couple of months."

"We meet up with Nagisa and Rei nearly every weekend. You shouldn't be hanging around Rei and Sosuke that long unless you haven't seen each other for years." Haru shut down Rin's statement. "And Rei was with Nagisa most of the time, so don't start giving me that type of bullshit stories Rin."

Rin was lost with where his husband was leading with the certain type of conversation. "Where are you leading with this Haru?"

Irritated Haru slammed on the breaks, slamming his hands onto the steering wheel.

"Are you cheating on me Rin?!" Haru suddenly snapped.

The empty road and the low sounding music made it possible to hear the rain crashing down onto their car. Rin clenched his fists. "How dare you Haru!" Rin yelled. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?"

Haruka rolled his eyes, "So you going over to Australia with Sosuke are just purely by chance?" Haru stared at his husband. "Not three times in the last six months they're not!"

Rin looked away as silence was his answer. Haru's eyes widen as he slammed the steering wheel again. Rin didn't have any more words to say.

"…So did you guys…did you guys did…"

Rin eyes widen with the direction Haru was leading with his question. "No Haru! We never had sex! Please believe me."

Haru's head was lying still on the steering wheel as his hands where holding on the steering wheel tightly. "Get out."

The red head tried to reach over to touch his husband on his shoulder before pulling back.

"Get out!" He screamed as he slowly lifted his head, looking at the man he loved. He was at the point of breaking into tears.

Without another word Rin reached for his umbrella and made his way onto the side of the road as Haru quickly drove off. Under the rain Rin watched his husband drive off in a mad fury.

His nine years of marriage was running wild and free as he watched his husband leave him behind. Rin closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of the rain drops crashing onto his umbrella.

"I'm such an ass."

* * *

Haruka kept on driving through the rain on the empty road with only the radio and the rain to keep him company. The wind screen wipers continually moved left to right, wiping the water from the window to the sides. Haru sighed and only wished it could be as easy as wiping water from the window as where his problems.

"Nine years Rin…nine years." Haru spoke, barely over a whisper was his voice. Haru slowly pressed on the breaks as he reached a set of traffic lights.

Resting his head on the steering wheel Haru soon found himself crying. His mind started to flood him with the reasons how this could ever happen to them. Was it because of his training for the Olympics which left little time for them both? Was Rin getting tired of him and the lastly refusals in bed with him? Maybe it started when he couldn't go help him with the renovations and trading his time with his husband with his training. Or even the invitations to visit Australia with Rin?

Haru slammed his hand on the wheels again and again.

He knew he was lacking time lately but was that enough reason to bring another man into bed; into his husband's life?

The lights flashed green and he looked up. The road was empty due to the party having finished so late. There was a road in front of him and another leading to the left, making it possible for a quick U-turn.

With his bloodshot eyes Haru flashed on the left indicator and made a quick U-turn.

* * *

The car slowly came to a stop as Haru's eyes were stuck on the road ahead of him. His hands firmly on the steering wheel as Rin kept on staring at his husband with desperation. His eyes not leaving until his husband would look back at him.

"Haru please, let me explain."

"I'll be staying the night at my parents."

Haru's cold blue eyes still refused to look at his husband. Rin was determined to explain his case.

"Let me at least explain-"

Finally looking back at Rin, his eyes were as intense as they were back at the nationals when they were still going to high school when he confronted him at his performance. Rin never thought he would see that anger, that intense look on his face once again.

"Get. Out." He snarled.

Looking at the anger on his face Rin agreed and grabbed his things as Haru drove off as soon as he could. All Rin could do was watch as he looked back and reached for the keys. He slipped the key in and turned the key before coming to a stop.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Gou's lips formed into a smile as she looked down at the beautiful white gown lying beautifully on her bed. Her fingertips ran across its silk dress and towards the sleeves made out of lace. She gazed at the white silk ribbon hair clips she would be wearing a month from now. She reached over for them and held them near her chest.

She was going to get married to the man of her dreams. A beautiful and kind man named Makoto. She couldn't ask to be married to a better man. Together in love for the last seven years.

Removing her pony tail she brushed her hair and put her long red hair into a bun with the white ribbon hair slip holding it in place. She turned to her wedding dress lying on her bed and held it in front of her and held it and pressed it against her body, looking at a mirror and imagining what she would look like in it on the day. She was so excited.

Her love story was wonderful. She moved to Tokyo after she graduated and lived nearby to Haruka and Makoto who was studying to becoming a wonderful swimming teacher as Haru trained to be the best swimmer in Japan. They would meet up at the apartment Makoto shared with Haru and they would do the same at her place.

It was just a simple outing as friends before Makoto finally found the courage to ask her out. She could see the cheer on Makoto's face when she agreed to the first one. And before she knew it she was in love with the man and soon the proposal came after.

And now, they were living together as she held her dress to her chest, dancing all across her bedroom floor.

Humming to her love song with Makoto her phone started to ring. Gou took her time and grabbed her phone lying on her bed. Still holding her dress in one arm Gou looked at the screen. It was no other but Chigusa, her friend she had gone with high school to was calling.

Moving her thumb to the green phone to answer the call, Gou placed her phone against her ear.

"Chigusa?" Gou asked.

There was weeping on the other side "G-Gou." She whimpered. "T-There is something you need to know."

Worried Gou stood in her place as she silently listened to her friend on the other side, who struggling to speak what was on her mind.

Soon it didn't take any longer than ten minutes before the beautiful wedding dress in her arms to slip towards the ground as hastened footsteps soon followed, leaving the room in a rush.

* * *

Gou slammed on the acceleration as the rain continued to pour onto the road. She hated how perfect the weather was to describe her feelings. Gou slammed her steering wheel multiple times, swearing at each one. Her tears matching with the weather outside as she suddenly screamed her anger out.

" _I need to tell you this. I was going to see you in person but the rain outside is turning into a typhoon and I can't keep this from you any longer."_

The red light showed up through the rain as Gou slowly stopped the car. Her hands clenched on the wheel.

" _You see Gou, you're getting married and this is just bad timing but-"_

As soon the lights flashed a bright green Gou rushed off down the stretch of road, not caring where it would lead her or if she was driving down a dead end. She needed to run, keep on running until she couldn't go on any further, her tears slowly running down her cheeks.

" _Something happened between me and Makoto. We were both drunk and well…"_

"AHHH!" The woman vented out her frustration as she closed her eyes for a moment. Opening her eyes once again she noticed a curve coming up and she was not ready for.

She swiveled sharply to her right but the car continued to lose control due to the wet surface of the road. The car continued to spin in circles until it slammed itself into a pole, causing all the airbags to inflate.

With her face lying on the inflated air bag, Gou lied there as she let the rain pore over. Hoping it would block all her thoughts out, even just for awhile.

* * *

Nine years. Nine years he has stuck with that man. Haruka placed his hand over his mouth as she let his tears to continue on. They went to Australia together for their honeymoon and for their training, they went to the grave of Rin's father every year alongside Gou, they even went back to their high school for the recent high school reunion with the whole gang.

Maybe he could forgive him. He had never hurt him this bad before. Haru glanced at his wedding ring.

Rin soon followed suit to Tokyo for his own training and as soon he knew where he lived with Makoto he visited regularly, sometimes even bringing Gou with him as soon she finished with her own graduation. Their friendship stayed the same until Rin asked bluntly if they could go swimming together every weekend. With his obsession with the water Haru could _never_ say no.

What started as a heated rivalry soon turned to a passion crush on his part. His mind was all over the place until Rin confronted him with the issue of him all suddenly avoiding him. It took _a lot_ to tip him over the edge and he blurted out his love for him. It didn't take long for Rin to reply with the same feeling.

Dates soon turned to marriage. Haru softly smiled as he recalled the way Rin proposed to him with the help of Gou. It was at the old swimming club they swum as children as the whole pool was covered in cherry blossoms.

Three years after that, they adopted a little boy with hair as red as Rin's and with eyes as bright blue as his. It was a perfect match. They were happy…so so happy…

His eyes widen as he stopped travelling down memory lane when a small car had crashed into a pole, driving over and pulling over Haru reached for his phone and grabbed an umbrella on his way out. As he called out he soon noticed the car that had crashed was no other but Gou's car.

Haruka looked around for any sort of ambulance and saw nobody was around. In his panic he rang the ambulance as he opened the driver side door. Being in a crash it soon fell off as soon as he touched it. He lightly touched Gou's shoulder.

"Gou! Gou!" He screamed through the pouring rain. The adult began to worry Gou was gone from them all for good.

Her eyes flicker a little more and more as Haru continued to call out her name. Her ruby eyes gazed and noticed Haru's ocean blue eyes, standing out from the rain. She stared silently as the panic and worry was covered all over his face. Only her eyes moved as she watched Haru take in turns from talking to her and the woman on the other end, asking questions as where they were and what had happened.

As Haru began to calm down he began to smile a little, a little gladness came over that that she wasn't dead. She couldn't remember, or if at all, when Haru would ever worry about her health. He was always, _always_ so calm at school, just like the ocean.

She felt too much pain to speak and instead started to cry, her tears staining the airbags. Haru watched on from her side and worry. This woman had done so much during his high school years. She set up him for the career he was on and joined the club when they needed an extra member. She went out of her own way and made training plans and even cooked for them more than once.

Haru sometimes couldn't believe she was the sister to his husband. They were so different.

"The ambulance is coming."

Gou just kept on crying as Haru lightly tapped her shoulders once again.

"I'm not leaving until they come. I'll come with you to the hospital as well."

No words could explain how badly Gou wanted to thank Haruka. She just kept on crying as she used the pain that her body was screaming in as a distraction that her broken heart felt.

Without knowing herself, Haru was doing the same thing.

* * *

"My dear, what happened here?!"

"Gou, Gou? Say something."

The brokenhearted woman lied in bed with a bandage stuck on her forehead. She didn't want to say anything because she didn't know where to begin.

' _You son cheated on me with my best friend', 'your son is an asshole', 'tell him to come to me and explain this in front of my face.'_ Were only some of the words she could think to say. But they weren't to blame and didn't deserve her anger. She just closed her eyes and looked the other way.

"Are you the parents of Miss Gou Matsuoka?" Gou overheard her doctor speak.

Makoto's mother spoke, "We are the parents of her fiancée."

"I see. Well your soon-to-be daughter in law has just suffered a simple cut on her forehead. She can be discharged in the morning. She is lucky that she didn't suffer any broken bones from her crash."

"Thank goodness." Mrs. Tachibana took a sigh of relief. The mother soon noticed Gou not looking at her or her husband. "Gou, is something not right?"

Not looking at her mother in law. "Go ask your son."

Before the young mother could ask why, the doctor asked for them to leave and give Gou time to rest. When she could no longer hear their voices the tears found their way down her face once more, staining her pillow as she lied quietly on her bed, the rain crashing now more loudly against her beside window.

Placing her hand on her forehead, "How dare you Makoto, _how dare you."_ She hissed through her tears.

Silent at first, Haruka made his way to the broken girl. "Gou?"

Gou blinked at the call of her name. That voice was the last thing she ever expected to hear, turning her head slowly to face him, "Haruka?" She questioned.

Pulling a chair over, "I see, you don't remember." Haru sat down. "I was driving when I saw you crashed your car. I was the one that called the ambulance to get you."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I honestly wasn't expecting you here."

"And I honestly didn't expect to spend my night at a hospital."

Gou was left confused. "Wait, you're staying?"

"Well I don't know what made you crash but I know you need someone by your side. I'm sure..." Haru paused at a certain name before continuing, keeping himself composed "…Rin…would like that."

The injured woman took in a few seconds to gather her words and ponder at the way Haru paused before speaking her brother's name. "Did something happen to Rin?" She asked.

The swimmer diverted his gaze away from Gou for a brief moment, "His…fine." He looked back at Gou. "For now, get some rest. I'll call Makoto about this."

Gou quickly reached out to grab Haruka's arm. She held it as tight as she could. "No, please don't."

Haru looked at Gou's face and noticed her ruby eyes staring at him, begging him not to call her fiancée. She looked away as soon Haru looked back at her with a puzzling look. "His asleep by now, it's like, just past one o'clock in the morning."

"He still has the right to know Gou. You're going to marry the man a month from now."

Speaking under her breathe, _"Not at this rate."_

Despite its low volume Haruka heard Gou's words and how disgusted she seemed by them.

Pausing for a moment, "Do you want to talk about this?"

Gou turned her head and shook her head softly. Haruka looked at Gou noticed the white silk ribbon hair clip stuck in her hair. He reached over and pulled it out slowly, causing Gou to turn and look back at him. He stared at the hairclip before back down at the emotionally destroyed bride-to-be. It only took one look to make Gou shed a flood of tears right in front of Haruka, the last person she expected to be with.

Her brother-in-law sighed as he sat there quietly; he let Gou hold his arm a little longer. He feared for the worse; he feared that Gou had just experienced the same pain beating from his heart. "Oh, Gou," He softly spoke in a worried tone.

He worried that the same pain beating from his chest and hers was no other but the pain coming from a broken heart.

He sighed. If there was one person that didn't deserve this type of pain it was Gou.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone!**

So anyway, I was bored one day and watched a movie and after the movie I had this sudden urge to write HaruGou! Strange isn't it? Anyway this story will have mature themes but nothing that involves lemons. Just stuff married couples would talk about. This was meant to be the first chapter but I thought it would be too much too soon so I made it a prologue, a really long one at that!

Don't worry, most of your 'whys' and 'hows' will be answered in the future chapters. I just hope you enjoy what I've written so far and please leave your thoughts in the reviews. And remember, no bashing of characters! :D

~midnight


	2. Chapter one:

**CHAPTER ONE:**

Even the cold morning breeze could not compete to the coldness of the cold dead stare Gou had written all over her face. Both were silent as Gou sat upright, arms crossed as Haru sat, slightly slumped into the bench as they watched cars and people pass them by. It easily could look like it they were the couple that had a fight but that was far from it.

They both had been cheated on. But their hearts were too sore to open it out to anyone but the people they were cheated on.

The car park space in front of them was suddenly filled with a familiar car to them both. Gou was the first to stand up as Haru was a little too slow to hold her back as Gou made her way to the passenger side door, slamming her fists on the window.

Taking a quick sprint, Haru held Gou back and pulled her away from the curve of the road as Makoto finally showed himself. At this point Gou was already kicking and screaming and was already looking like a mentally ill person.

"How dare you! How _fucking_ dare you!" She swore; a rare occurrence for her. Her voice high pitched as she continued to struggle in Haruka's arms. "And it had to be with Chigusa as well you disgusting little-"

This was the first time Haruka's worst thoughts came true. He worried that maybe it could be true that his best friend Makoto would do the worse thing in the world but he couldn't make himself believe it. Makoto acted like their mother during their high school years and to believe he would do such a thing made Haru ill. The nicest person in the world, how could he?

He spaced out as he held Gou a little tighter, making her stop her kicking and punching and caused Gou to glance over her shoulder.

"Screaming isn't going to fix the problem. I've tried." Haru's voice was turning into a whisper. "I've tried."

Even with the kicking and screaming stopped, her blood continued to boil.

"Explain yourself!" Gou yelled, ignoring the fact that Haru was holding her tight in his arms.

Gathering any pride and courage he had left as a man, Makoto began. "Gou, I didn't mean to hurt you. It… just happened."

Her fists clenched, "Don't give me that rubbish!"

"It was just meant to be a celebration with one of my workmates. I didn't expect Chigusa to show up. We got drunk and…" Makoto was losing his words. He couldn't believe he had destroyed such an innocent woman that was once madly in love with him. "You see ever since I asked you to marry me things have been well…too well planned out."

With Haru letting Gou out of his arms, Haru took a step back as Gou stood still, frozen in her place.

"What do you mean _too well planned out?"_

Taking a sigh, "Ever since I met you back at high school to the point where we got together everything had a plan. You always followed a plan. You would rarely let go and not follow one. Because of that my life started to become a chore rather than enjoying life."

Her anger started to pour over, her calmness had shifted away. "So it's _my_ fault now is it?" Gou yelled, pointed at herself. "So I'm the reason why you cheated on me?!"

Haru stayed silent as she heard the exchanging of reasoning from both parties. He only watched as he could see himself and Rin fighting over the same cause of their possible failing marriage. If he just stayed homed a little longer, came home earlier and helped with the house work from time to time would that stop Rin from cheating on him?

Silently he reached over to hold Gou's wrist. "That's enough Gou. Don't waste your breath on Makoto any longer."

Turning her anger at the silent man, "So your siding with your best friend cheater here are we?"

Still remaining calm, "I'm not on anyone's side, what Makoto did was wrong and I-" Haruka took in a moment to gather his words. "I-I know how you feel." His whisper quietly, only quietly enough for Gou to pick up, barely.

"If you're only saying that to make me feel better than it-" Gou was cut off mid sentence when she felt Haru press a little more tightly on her wrist. She looked up into his face and saw the water in his eyes ready to break loose. She saw how hard Haru was not trying to break down in front of her.

Her eyes widen with shock. "No, Rin wouldn't. He couldn't he-"

Haru turned to look at his best friend. He couldn't understand how Makoto could do that to Gou. The kindest person he had ever made friends with alongside Makoto.

Silence covered them like a blanket. Gou slipped away from Haru's grasp and looked at her fiancée. "I'll be taking my things from your apartment. I'll ask Haru to help me out. Please don't come home until the late afternoon. I can't take to see you right now."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Makoto nodded. "I understand."

Gou turned around in her spot and walked back, stomping down the footpath as Haruka walked up to his friend. He had so many questions to ask. He couldn't understand if the anger he suddenly felt from his friend was because he hurt one of his family members or because he was also a victim of being cheated on.

"So what's the plan now?"

Makoto, still struggling to gather his words finally looked back at his friends. "I can't be with her anymore. I know what had happened between us will only get in the way in our relationship."

"And your giving up on your relationship just like that?!" Haru raised his voice a little. "Aren't you going to at least try to save what you have? Seven years Makoto! Don't just throw that away!"

Haru's rare occurrence of yelling was enough to stop Gou in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder. She noticed Haruka standing up to save her relationship with Makoto. The young red head didn't understand why Haru would suddenly do that. Suddenly her mind reminded her of the words Haru was barely managing to get out.

She didn't want to believe it but the way Haruka was speaking and the emotions it was bringing out of him. Rin would never cheat on Haruka. Their love was so pure and was something she always wanted whenever she would get in a relationship of her own.

"Haru?" Gou walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

The swimmer glanced over his shoulder and saw a soft smile cross across her lips. "But Makoto is right. I can't find it in me to continue this relationship with him right now." She tried hard not to look at her ex-fiancée, avoiding herself from getting angry once again. "For now, please drop me of at his apartment. There are things I need to get before I move back with my mother."

Haruka spoke nothing in response and let Gou gently guide him backwards before he turned and walked off on his own. Taking one more looked at Makoto; Gou simply shook her head as tears were starting to form in her eyes before dashing into a run, chasing after Haruka. The last person she ever expected to find comfort within.

* * *

The coldness of the morning caused a light sheet of fog cover up the inside of Haru's car windows. Even when he heard Gou open the door and take the seat beside him, the swimmer didn't look back. Gou stared at his back, hoping he would turn around some time soon.

"So what you said back then…is, it true? Did Rin really…"

"Yes." Haru's answer was blunt and cold. His back still facing the young woman, "He did it with Sosuke." The young man suddenly slammed his hand on the side of his car door soon after.

Gou never expected the perfect relationship she admired with Haruka and Rin would take such a deep slide downhill so suddenly. Only a few months ago they were celebrating their nine year anniversary and now this. Her heart ached for Haruka.

"I could tell by the way they were talking, the way their bodies and hands were so close. Every time I called your brother's name he would look back as if he had killed someone." Haruka placed his hands on the steering wheel, finally looking ahead of him. Gou looked into his blue ocean eyes and could see the pain he was feeling. "I knew from that moment that I lost your brother. I lost my husband Gou!" Haru yelled and turned to face his sister-in-law. "His gone!"

Gou recalled the times Haruka would open up to her back in high school. Back in the swimming club that she joined in the hopes that Haruka could bring her brother's smile back again. It worked and she got more than she bargained for when they got married many years later.

Haruka sometimes would open up to her without warning. Sometimes he would stand or take a seat next to her instead beside Nagisa or Makoto. They weren't important things; maybe half of them weren't even by choice or on purpose. But she liked that Haruka could lean on her side when trouble came. She was glad he was at least comfortable enough with her to stand by her side.

"You don't deserve this. Maybe that's why back there I was trying to save your relationship with Makoto so just in case mine and Rin's starts to fall apart at least I can look at my friend's relationships and smile because you guys are alright." His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "But just now, when I heard Makoto cheated on you, I couldn't believe it. Now we're both on this boat."

Quiet at first Gou suddenly leaned forward, trying hard not to touch the gear box and embraced the distressed Haruka. Shedding her own tears lightly, trying to fight them back to the best of her ability, catching Haruka off guard.

"I'm glad to hear you care for me so much," Gou pulled back and reached for Haruka's hands that were currently holding on the steering wheel tightly. She pulled them away from the wheel and held them. "We'll get through this. I'll talk to Rin and…you can talk to Makoto if you like."

"I'll talk to him but if your relationship is truly gone than my words alone can't fix that."

Gou looked through the side mirror on Haru's side of the car and saw a coffee shop sign brightly blinking in the morning sky. "Hey, why don't we take a detour and have some breakfast?"

Haruka looked around and noticed the same coffee shop Gou just mentioned. He looked back.

"Just promise me you won't add any protein powder to any of my meals."

Gou showed up a cheeky grin, "I can't make such promises." She teased.

* * *

Haru's deep blue eyes stared as his beautiful golden wedding ring. Haru ran his fingertip across the golden material. The smell of pancakes and coffee warmed up the store in the cold August air. He stared from the window hoping to catch a glance of Makoto car's but left to no avail. With his phone on the table Haruka waited for Gou to return with their order. Haru still couldn't find it in him to let Nagisa or Rei about his or Gou's situation. He didn't even know where to begin to save his relationship with his husband yet alone let Nagisa or Rei involved.

Haru's phone suddenly went off, his ringtone filling up the air with a modern pop tune. The phone's screen lit up showing a picture of his husband and him. The picture was them together on their last trip to Australia. It was winter when they went and even though the snow was not as cold as it was back home, he enjoyed the trip because he was with his, at the time, loyal husband.

"Hey, I got you something to eat!" Gou's cheerful voice filled his ears as Haru quickly declined Rin's incoming call for the third time. Gou noticed Haru's action. Her lips were ready to speak but her courage had left her. Instead she placed the tray of food in the middle of the table as she sat opposite her brother-in-law.

Haruka looked at the food Gou had ordered for them both; it was a simple pancake with a side of coffee.

"Thank you." Haruka reached for his share of the food. "I'll pay you back."

Fanning her hand with a nervous smile, "Don't worry about it, we're family remember?"

The professional swimmer stayed quiet before looking up at Gou. "But what if, what if, I decided to divorce with your brother. Will we still stay family still?"

Gou's heart dropped at the idea of seeing her brother and Haru break up but if it would give any of them peace then she had no right to stop them. "We never stopped being a family. We were a family all the way back at Iwatobi Swim Club." Gou smiled softly, "Whatever made you stop believing that?"

Taking a sip from his coffee, "I guess I grew up."

The red head was silent for a moment as she took a bite out of her own pancake as the two ate in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly Haru's phone started to ring once more and before Haruka would reject the call a different photo and name showed up on his screen.

It was Nagisa.

Both looked at one another. Gou nodded and Haruka went on forward to answer the call.

"Haru Haru Haru!" Nagisa panicked over the phone. Haruka could hear Rei in the background, calling out his Haruka's and Gou's names. "Thank goodness you answer the call. Rei and I were super worried about you!"

A smile crept across Haru's lips after discovering that he had so many people looking out for him. "I'm fine. I'm with Gou."

"I know this is a bad time to say this but me and Rei found out the news. We were heading to the hospital to visit Gou but when we got there the nurse told us she was discharged."

Haruka shifted his attention to the hospital on the other side of the road. "Well it's news that I'm not ready to hear about, again."

Haruka could hear the shuffling as Rei made his way closer to his boyfriend's phone. "Well that's the thing Haru. Nagisa and I were planning to go sailing as it was my birthday gift to him when we decided that you and Gou should come along."

Haruka looked at Gou and noticed she was drinking her coffee when she noticed he was staring at her. She gave off a confused look. Haru turned his attention back to Nagisa and Rei.

"But Gou can't swim."

"Don't worry. There are life jackets and there won't be any high tides. I'll make sure that the probability of Gou falling out of the boat is zero!" Rei put on her nerdy side of him on.

Covering his phone for a moment he looked at Gou, "Nagisa and Rei invited us to go sailing with them. You want to come?"

"Wouldn't it be rude? I mean Rei has been planning that sailing trip for him and Nagisa for the last week."

"They wouldn't find it rude if they were the ones that offered it in the first place." Haru stated.

Knowing she was defeated, Gou sighed and nodded. Haru focused back to his friends on the other end of the call. "We're coming."

Nagisa's voice was coming through the phone once more. "Oh, when we were leaving the hospital we bumped in Makoto. He was the one that told us about… _that stuff."_

"I know. Makoto can't hold secrets fro-" Haruka quickly stopped his train of thought and quickly dived into a new conversation topic. "When is this sailing thing going to happen?"

"On Saturday, 11am."

With a smile, "Thanks guys. We'll see you there."

Ending the call Haruka looked at Gou. She smiled. "I'm so glad Nagisa and Rei are always out for us even after high school."

Smiling back, "Like you said we're family."

* * *

Haru found himself on the road once again before taking the shortcut that brought him off the freeway. As the red lights flashed Haru took in a moment to glance at the person beside him. With her long red laces of hair spread across his passenger seat he stared at her sleeping face. He gazed at her red eyelashes before noticing her tear glands were wet. Without him noticing Gou was crying until she was too tired too and fell asleep.

Haru sighed and thought maybe he'll be doing that eventually. Unlike Gou she wasn't married. She didn't need to wake up beside a cheating husband _every day._

Driving down a couple more roads he was at the suburbs and soon was at the driveway of his mother-in-law. He sighed surly knowing that Gou's mother would have known both her children's stories by now. Walking over Haruka opened the passenger side door and knelt down, shaking Gou's shoulders lightly.

"Hey Gou, wake up. I brought you home."

Her eyes opened slowly, showing her ruby eyes to the world. Catching Haru's attention for a briefly moment before the sound of a door opening took his attention away. At the front door was Gou's mother. Her hair was as red as Gou's and her eyes deep ruby. She stood there with arms crossed as Gou sat up, finally seeing her mother was waiting for her.

"Haru? I thought you were going to drop me off at Makoto's to grab my things?"

"I was but I thought it was better if you don't go anywhere near there and stay with your mother for a few days."

"Maybe you can stay over too." Gou asked.

Haruka shook his head. "No, maybe Rin is here and I have no doubt your mother is going to take his side over me."

"Mother isn't like that. She'll never defend a person who has done the wrong thing."

Haru looked seriously at Gou's eyes. "But that doesn't stop a mother to take their son in when they are down."

Gou sighed, knowing Haruka wasn't going to stay over no matter what she said or done. Haruka stood up and took a few steps back to let Gou pass.

"So the next time we meet up will be this Saturday right?"

Closing the door, "Yeah, Nagisa won't make me live it down if I turned down his invitation."

Gou chuckled at the idea, "I expect no less from him." She twirled in her spot, "If you ever need anyone to talk to, call me. I'll keep you company the way you did for me at the hospital."

"And you do the same." Haruka added.

And with that both made their own way home. Both didn't notice that a smile had crept across their lips as they parted ways for the first time in a long time.

* * *

The sound of Haruka's car keys echoed in the home as her dropped it on the coffee table. Haruka looked around and noticed how empty the house had become ever since his confrontation with Rin. The house was kept slightly clean even after the drama as Haru slowly walked around the room. Haru walked past the kitchen before passing by a certain room, only a few feet away from his own room with Rin.

Reaching forward the door slowly opened forward as her peeked through. The room's walls were repainted and the room was mainly used for storage. Boxes piled up like towers as the light from the window pierced through. Names were written on the boxes as a certain name caught his attention.

"Saito…" He softly murmured. "My little boy," He smiled as the image of his son popped into his mind.

Leaning on the doorframe the swimmer sighed as she reached for the doorknob and closed the door, leaning his forehead on the door and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"H-Haru?"

Rin's voice suddenly disturbed the peace of him reimagining his time with his son. Haruka glared at his red head husband.

"You're finally home." Rin continued.

"Yeah, I bet your fine as well with Sosuke probably spending the night here while I was gone." Haru hissed.

Rin walked over and tried to place his hand on his husband's shoulder before Haru slapped his offer away. "Don't touch me." Turning around Haru made his way to his room as Rin followed by.

"Haru please!" Rin followed suit. "Please let me explain!"

Finally reaching the bedroom, Haru looked over his shoulder. "Ah, yes. Please explain how you made love with Sosuke. I'm all ears!"

Rin face palmed himself. "Haru please believe me. Sosuke and I never had sex." Rin noticed Haru was ready to enter into the room and close him off. He leaned forward and placed one hand on the door and another on the entrance.

"Ok, so you may have not down the deed but I'm sure he must of run his hand down your-"

"God damn it Haru I'm not that low! Yes I admit I was lonely but I wouldn't go that far to throw my body to another man! I wouldn't throw out nine years of marriage like that!"

Haru's face lit up with irritation at Rin's words. "Then you should of thought of that before you cheated on me."

Finally letting go Rin moved back as he watched his husband slam the door right in front of him. Rin stood there quietly as he leaned his back on the door, sliding downwards until was sitting on the carpet floor, trying to fight to save his marriage that was already falling apart before his scandal ever got out.

* * *

Underneath the sheets he stayed, curled into a ball as he rested on one side. Haru had no idea how long he had been under the sheets, curled up to one side like a cat. He had not bothered to look at the clock as it would only remind him of the reality he had to face. The last time he acted like this was the last time he fought with his best friend. It was their very first fight and being alone for most of his life, he didn't really have anyone to rely on except his bed.

The only way he got out was when Rin came over and rung his doorbell and suddenly invited him to go to Australia with him. That day helped him on the path he was on now; the path on becoming one of Japan's best swimmers and to win a gold medal at the next Olympics.

He had told his coaches his situation and agreed to give him a week off to sort himself out. He knew that wasn't enough time but he didn't expect them to help him out as it was so rare for people to cheat. He knew there were plenty of good partners that never cheat; he just got that unlucky bunch that does. He and Gou did.

Haruka heard his phone going off again for the longest time before popping his head through the covers to only be greeted by the morning rays. By his side table his phone laid, still charging as he reached over for it. His phone's screen showed a picture of Gou. Lazily, Haru answered her call and put her on loud speaker.

"Haru? Haru?" Gou began. "Are you awake now?"

Lying on his stomach, "I wouldn't be able to answer the call if I didn't." Haruka stated the obvious.

"R-Right." Gou rolled her eyes. "Anyway it's Saturday today. Is that sailing gig still up?"

With his head on one side, "Nagisa has been bugging me all week with that."

"Alright, anyway I'll be a little late but I'll be coming over. Knowing you I doubt you'll miss this for the world!" Gou cheered.

"I rather would be _in the water_ than _on the water."_ Haruka stressed.

Gou paused. Sometimes she didn't know why she would bother. "Eh, anyway, see you there!"

Dropping the call, Haruka lie quietly on his bed before slowly sitting up as he looked at the window minutes later. For an autumn/fall season August really knew when to put up a warm summer-like days. Haru smiled at the idea of being near the water.

As Haruka sat there something in him told him everything was going to be alright and he was going to make it through. As long he had his friends and with Gou by his side. Thinking about Gou's name suddenly sent an unexpected sent his lips to smile.

Finally he was able to look forward to the day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello again. It's really rare for me to update a story so soon but I have this rule that if I make a new story I should upload at this two chapters near one another before slowing down so some of the answers of you guys can be answers.

Of course, there is some mystery left and that will be answered as the story progresses. I do hope you stick around for when that happens and when the love story of Haruka and Gou begins!

Until then!

 **~midnight**


	3. Chapter two:

**CHAPTER TWO:**

"Come on Nagisa, tell me where Haru is!"

Stomping her feet on the golden grains of sand, Nagisa continued to looked down on the petite woman with a grin across his face.

With his feet dipped into the cold morning ocean water, Nagisa kept on smiling as his old high school manager stood by the shore, arms crossed and more irritated than he had ever seen her before. The young man was sitting on a dinghy sailing boat. It was a sailing boat people used to get more excitement and enjoyment from the regular sailing boat. A team of two or more would need to stand or sit either side to make the boat turn either left, right or straight. Gou knew Nagisa and should have guessed this was the type of sailing he would pick for him and Rei.

Gou questioned how on earth they were even a pair.

"Sure, as long you come sailing with me." He teased.

"You _know_ I can't swim Nagisa!"

Standing onto his two feet the young man tried his best not to tip the small boat over. He walked over and from the boat threw a spare life jacket to the woman.

"You won't be drowning with that on!"

Gou caught the yellow life jacket as Nagisa spoke, "Come on, this is like the only time you'll be anywhere near the water!" He cheered.

With his hand held out to her the young woman looked around. Still, neither Haruka nor Rei were anywhere to be found. With her gut telling her to back away and waited to her both their opinions, Gou looked back at her friend and reached for his hand. Nagisa pulled Gou onto the dinghy boat and both held each other for support.

"This really isn't your regular boat." Gou spoke nervously. "Great." She muttered to herself in a scarcastic manner, rather displeased.

Holding each other as support both made their way to the center of the dinghy boat. Holding the rope, both sat to the left of the boat. With a grin Nagisa started to move the boat into the ocean as Gou held onto the rope nervously. She looked at Nagisa who was pushing the boat as far as he could until his feet no longer made any contact with the sea floor and pushed himself onto the boat.

Taking his seat next to his friend he held onto the rope as the dinghy boat sailed in whatever direction the wind pushed them to.

"So…why sailing?" Gou asked. Her mind reminded her of the swim club she managed with the four boys.

"Well I thought Rei would like something different from time to time besides the usual swimming we do. And isn't going in a boat really fast just so much fun?" He spoke cheerfully.

Nagisa leaned backwards a little more while holding the rope as he let the ends of his blond hair touch the surface of the sea. Gou watched and worried if they would both go under at his rate.

Gou felt the boat sudden tip backwards a little, making Gou's back touch the surface of the sea a little closer. First it was just splatters of the salty water caused to the speed they were going but soon her body was cutting into the ocean wall little by little.

"Nagisa?" Gou turned to face her friend. She had one eye shut due to the splatter of the water. "What is happening?"

But before the young blond man could reply the small dinghy boat capsized on the both of them, sending them both under.

"I see. It's getting worse huh?" Rei spoke in response to Haru. Both placed the snacks they were holding onto the picnic table.

"I just get angry when I see him. I know it's been at least three months since I caught him cheating but the feeling still feels new. I love Rin but…"

"Maybe you need some time apart?" Rei suggested. "Maybe it's your last chance to-"

"GOU!"

Nagisa's loud voice echoed in the early morning sky, breaking apart Rei and Haru's conversation. It wasn't new for them to see Nagisa be so loud, but the way he spoke Gou's name made them worry. His voice was covered with a sense of fear and regret as he tossed his life jacket away. They both stared at Nagisa's face as he was ready to enter into the ocean again.

Both boys rushed over as Rei reached and was lucky enough to grab his boyfriend by the wrist.

"Nagisa, explain yourself!" Rei yelled as he fixed his glasses with his spare hand.

The young swimmer glanced over his shoulder to look deeply into their eyes. His arm was shaking and his irises were trembling. None have seen such fear in the goofy boy's eyes since the day back in high school where Rei nearly drowned on them.

Rei pulled on Nagisa's arms, demanding an answer from him. Haru looked at the couple before staring at the sea. He looked back at his friends and towards the sea afterwards many times before it suddenly clicked to him. Without a word he rushed to the open sea and dived as soon as he could. Haru could hear the chants of his name before he dived under.

A sense of fear ran his body to swim faster. Even if he was a trained professional swimmer that didn't give him any head start to save Gou.

He wanted to yell at Nagisa at whatever he did to make Gou go under but his trembling face reminded him that he didn't want any of this to happen. Soon the sense of death sunk into him and that the idea that Gou might be gone from them forever haunted him.

She was the only person somehow that made him look forward to living. He didn't know if it was because there were just things you could tell a woman too and not a man or maybe because she was the only sense of family he'll ever have.

The water turned darker and Haru reached the point where he had to retreat. He wanted to keep swimming. He knew that if he went back up and returned back down Gou was far from his reach. But his body begged for air and soon he found himself swimming to the surface.

With a giant gasp of air to greet him Haru opened his eyes and saw the bright blue sky shining down at him, passing the clouds and leaves. He began to scope his surroundings in the hopes he would find some sort of good news.

And there, in the distance was a vision of something yellow. His heart screamed that it would be Gou as his body rushed towards it. Even he was short on breath he didn't want to lose a second. He needed to know if it was her.

The waves pushed the yellow object closer to him as his heart leapt for joy when he was able to notice that rich ruby hair and petite woman floating in the water. Her eyes closed and her body drifting further away from the shore, Haruka swam faster.

Soon his fingers were able to touch the fabric of the life vest that was the only thing that was keeping her afloat and dragged the woman closer to him. With one arm he swam himself and Gou back to shore. It didn't take long for Gou's eyes to open once again and notice she was moving.

Lifting her head she saw it was no other but Haru that had came to save her and by the shore was Rei and Nagisa with faces filled with glee. Before they both made their way back the young woman reached over and held Haru's arms, causing him to stop. The water was now just past his shoulders and Haru was now able to just walk them both to shore.

"Haru," Gou smiled. "Thank you."

Without a single word escaping his lips he pulled the woman into his arms; an unexpected gesture that nobody saw coming. With her feet finally able to touch the sea bottom Gou stood there standing in the arms of Haruka. Her mind at a lost if she needed to embrace Haru back or tell him to stop.

But she felt the way he was holding her that he needed this moment. She was the only sense of family he had left due to being an only child and having parents that would travel overseas for most of the year. It didn't help knowing that her brother cheated on a man that had been so lonely most of his life.

Gou couldn't even imagine the pain he was feeling, sure they both had been cheated on but her suffering couldn't be on par to Haruka's.

Finally pulling apart he showed a warm smile; a smile that showed her how grateful he was that she was still alive. Gou began to wonder what would had happened if she had never survived that car crash the night she discovered Makato had cheated on her. If Haruka never had been there by chance, would she still be alive?

It had now been twice that he had saved her life.

Before Gou could even begin the downpour of 'thank you' Nagisa quickly ran up to Gou with tears building up in his eyes. He reached for her hands and held them tightly as his tears finally started to run down his face. Even now they were full grown adults Nagisa still wasn't shy or afraid to cry in front of any of them.

"I'm so, so, so, so sorry!" Nagisa repeated over and over again as he held Gou's hands tightly. "I should have been more careful with you on board knowing that you couldn't swim."

Rei walked over and stood by his boyfriend's side. "Gou please forgive this ignorant boyfriend of mine. I can't believe you made such a miscalculation on Gou's behalf."

Nagisa still with tears still running down his face, "I just want her to be happy! She and Haru have been through so much lately! I just want my friends to forget their problems, even for a day."

Caught off guard by the genuine care Nagisa had for both victims of love, Gou held Nagisa's hands a little tighter.

"Even though I'm mad at what you did, I can understand what you're trying to do and me and Haru thank you for it." Gou looked up at Rei. "You too Rei, I couldn't have asked for better friends."

Embracing the woman Gou finally smiled and Haru watched her and put up a smile of his own. He was glad she was alive and well. He couldn't understand what Gou had to make him feel happy to be around her and look forward to each day he was given. Maybe it was her kind and gentle aura that made it easier for him to open up about his problems with Rin.

Being around her gave him a certain kind of peace that he badly needed right now.

Rei chuckled as Nagisa hugged Gou tightly and Gou starting to pull Nagisa off her due to how tightly he was hugging her. Rei's eyes soon started to drift to Haru and noticed the way he was looking at the young woman in the group. He started to question the way he was staring at her.

It was different and Rei couldn't put a point on it. He didn't want to admit that Haru could be starting to fall for another Matsuoka. But Haru was never the one for neither girls nor boys back in high school, but yet he proved them all wrong with Rin years later.

Maybe, he was going to do it again.

* * *

The glow of the orange sun started to turn the once clear blue ocean into a relaxing orange colour. After the scare Nagisa gave to that all with Gou the four of them spent the rest of the day eating and sitting by the edge of the ocean, promising both him and Gou to take proper sailing lessons with a professional once they had free time once again.

Saying their goodbyes Haru and Gou agreed to stay behind a little longer before returning to their broken lives. Still in their swimwear both sat by the ocean, the waters lightly wrapped themselves around their waists.

They both sat in silence as the sea gulls above them called to each other as they flew past and gossip from other people filled their surroundings as they passed them by. The wind stayed low as the warmth of the setting sun gave them warmth.

"You gave us quite the scare back there." Haru finally spoke between them.

"Well Nagisa forced me to take a ride with him." Gou sighed. "I'm going to get payback for today I swear."

Giving off a small chuckle, "Would you like a hand with that?"

With a determine look on her face. "The more the merrier." She spoke with determination. "Maybe before his birthday we could ask Rei to help us as well." Gou began to ponder, her voice dropping to a simple mutter as she continued to plan her devious plan.

As Gou pondered her revenge on Nagisa Haru looked towards the ocean. He watched it move as light waves crashed at their bodies. With his arms wrapped lightly around his knees Haru couldn't help but wonder about the man he had waiting for him at home, Rin.

Three months had passed and yet he couldn't have a decent conversation with his husband. There was so much anger and rage in him that he was tired of having. He never was an angry person and when he discovered Rin had cheated on him, he felt a part of him had died and was filled with this angry person he didn't knew.

His body walked over the ocean as Gou watched from the sidelines. He saw Haru just letting his body float on the huge collection of water.

Her and Makoto was no longer an item and had agreed to call everything quits. She was now was living with her mother. Gou always had a plan of some sorts and now having her life just break apart so badly so quickly, she had no idea what sort of plan she could make after what she had just been through.

Lying back she let the golden grains of sand run wild in her long ruby hair as she closed her eyes as the water lazily wrapped around her body. She felt the sensation of the water climbing up her to her waist before backing away. Even with the cold wind around her the warmth of the setting sun gave it warmth as was relaxing to the touch.

Her ears soon heard the sounds of someone pulling out from the water and afterwards drips of water crashing down her petite figure. Opening her eyes she noticed Haru looked down at her, Gou gave off a puzzled look.

"Haru?" She asked.

"You know the water helps me forget my problems. Maybe you should give it a try."

"I nearly died today by being _in_ the water." Gou stressed.

Haru held his hand out to Gou. "Do you trust me?"

Still lying on her back Gou stared at Haru in a questioning manner. Trust, it was a word she didn't have issues with until recently. And to hear it again so soon felt foreign. Even Haru, who was a victim of the same crime, it still felt weird to trust _anyone_ at this point of time.

But if there was anyone that she could start to begin trusting again, it would be him.

Reaching her hand forward Gou held Haru's hand tight as he pulled her to her feet. Letting go of his hand Gou held onto Haru's arm as he guided her deeper into the water. Each step was getting harder as she held tighter and tighter onto Haru's arm. As soon the water had reached their waist the man stopped.

"Climb onto my back."

"What?" Gou cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not ten you know."

Haru glanced over his shoulder, confused at why Gou was rejecting his offer. "All you have to do is hold tightly. Just don't choke me the more we go deeper." Haru forewarned.

"What if I slip?"

"What if you just trust me?"

Silent, Gou stood in her spot as Haru bent down on one knee, his back facing her and waiting for her to jump on. Taking small steps she placed her hands on his well toned back.

"Why are you doing this?" Gou asked as she pressed her body onto his back, her arms locked into place.

"To be honest I don't know. Maybe I just want to distract myself from the things I have to face right now."

Haru rose himself to his two feet as he slowly took one step at a time, deeper into the ocean. Gou felt more stressed and held onto her brother-in-law a little together the deeper they went.

"Why are you making me feel this? I can't swim. I'm not even a water-type of person." Gou asked as she tried to divert her mind from the stress she was feeling.

Haru stopped as soon the water reached his shoulders as he glanced back at his sister-in-law. "Don't you want to feel something else besides pain?" He looked at the horizon ahead of him.

"I guess. But I'm lost. I've always had a plan to follow and now, it's gone. I don't know where to start."

"Then you and I are the same then."

Gou looked down at Haru's face as he looked back up at her.

"To be honest I have no idea how or when I and Rin will be better again. Rei suggested that we should spend some time apart but I'm scared that will make things more badly. I mean that was one of the reasons he turned to Sosuke to begin with."

"Well what if you make one day away from my brother? Like just for a few hours at least once a week? Maybe it will help you think things over."

"I guess, but swimming doesn't seem to help right now as it was one of the issues that started the damn problem."

Gou pondered as she rested her chin on Haru's shoulder. She noticed the tiny, tiny fishes swimming past them by.

"What about sailing?" Gou suggested. She cringed at the idea of suggesting such an idea.

Haru glanced at Gou who was resting on his shoulder.

"It's new, its un expecting and fast paced."

Haru was quiet as his mind raced a millions answers he could say back. Soon his lips moved and spoke out his answer.

"If I take this sailing thing, you want to come with me?"

Gou pulled up, "What for? I nearly died last time I went on that damn boat."

Haru began to turn back at walk back to shore with Gou still on his back. As soon it was shallow enough for Gou to get off she did, Haru looked at his sister-in-law.

"First, tell me how the water felt with me by your side."

Gou blinked. She didn't notice how long she had been in the deep end riding on Haru's back. Her fear was distracted the more she talked and hung around somebody she trusted. She even noticed tiny fishes passing them by just by taking the time off from the mainland. She looked back at her brother-in-law. He softly smiled.

"Come on, you need it as bad as I do."

Still accepting the trial Haru made her go through it only felt right to help him a little, even just once a week.

"But you don't know how to sail those floppy boats."

"I could always learn. And by that I mean not from Nagisa."

Gou cringed at the idea of letting Nagisa teach them both how to sail. Gou soon noticed Haru offering a handshake to her.

"We'll need a name though."

"We…do?" Haru was left unsure.

The young adult took a few steps and spun in her spot. She leaned back on her heels and turns to face Haru. Her hair tossed all over the place due to the suddenly pick up of the wind. Looking at the professional swimmer she made a hash tag sign with her fingers.

"What about #teamheartbroken?"

Taking in a minute to let the name sink in, Haru took a few steps towards Gou and sighed.

"That's…a really dumb name you know."

"Not as dumb as that mascot you drew for the team back in high school." Gou laughed as she reminded herself of the mascot Haru drew back for them in high school.

Irritated, "I really worked hard on that you know."

Still teasing, Gou turned her back on her brother-in-law. "To think you wasted such great art skills of yours on such a questionable mascot." Gou started to make her way back to the picnic table that was placed in the distance.

Still in his spot, Haru watched as Gou started to make her way from him. Haru cringed.

"He has a name you know!"


	4. Chapter three:

**CHAPTER THREE:**

Gou couldn't recall the days without being by his side. It was only meant to be just for a few weeks. But those weeks turned to months and somehow it soon didn't feel the same without the man by her side. The young red head closed her eyes and she leaned back and let her red hair loose and it whipped wildly with the wind. The air was filled with her laughter as the boat continued to sail at high speeds as the man beside her just smiled.

After taking lessons (without any help from Nagisa) the man was able to get use to steering the dinghy sail boat. As much he enjoyed sailing at fast speeds with high winds, nothing felt as good as being in the water itself and letting himself get carried away within its currents.

His mind began to space out. It had now been four months since the whole incident occurred and nothing had been fixed between him and his husband. Haru could remember waking up in the morning in the guest room as a normal thing now compared to waking up beside Rin. He missed his tender arms wrapped around him during the nights and how beautiful his long red hair would lie on the pillows.

But as much he missed his hugs and kisses he just couldn't remove the image of his betrayal. Everyone made mistakes and there was nothing wrong with giving him a second chance…and then suddenly his eyes gazed on the woman he was with. Her red ruby eyes stuck on the view ahead as they traveled around the outskirts of the island.

Gou never gave another chance for Makoto to make up to her so should he do the same with Rin? Haru shook the thought away. He was married to Rin while she was engaged. There was a big difference with that. It wasn't as simple to call it quits with someone you're married with than someone you have been dating with.

"Hey Gou?"

Haru's voice broke the silence as Gou turned to her brother in law.

"What's up Haru?"

Haru looked at the woman before looking up ahead and saw more of the beach; it was less crowed than the main one.

As he steered towards the empty beach, "Why didn't you give another chance for Makoto to make it up to you?"

Gou's face went pale. It had been such a long time since she had heard the man's name. Gou took in her time with her answer as she looked away and focused on the beach they were heading towards.

As they reached the island, Gou's lips began to move.

"It just felt right."

The boat finally stopped as it hit the sand. Still silent Haru got off first as he pushed the dinghy boat more until it was stuck and stable enough as he looked at Gou and saw she had gotten off as well. Taking a seat by the ocean Gou watched as Haruka fell backwards into the water before rising up again seconds later. His hair wet as his mind was lost in thoughts once again.

"Just what are you up to Haru?" Gou's words were soft and quiet. "Is it really that bad that there is no way to make it up with my brother?"

Gou caught a glance of Haru looking at her before slowly looking back at the ocean ahead of them both. Gou was puzzled at why Haru was looking at her in such a way. Was it because she looked so much like her brother?

"Are you giving up on him?" She asked.

Her voice brought him back as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Should I?"

Quiet at first, Gou sighed as she dipped her feet into the cold waters of the ocean. She leaned back and looked up at the sky.

"You're married to the man, not me."

Haru sighed and let his body float above the surface of the water and closed his eyes.

"You have a point."

* * *

"I'm sorry it had to be this way."

His red ruby eyes were stuck on the man as he bowed his head down, trying to look away from his handsome features.

"We have to end whatever we have now."

The man was quiet at first before he reached for Rin's chin and pulled him up until their line of sight reached each other's. His fingers made their way from Rin's chin to behind his neck as he pulled the man closer to him, his body touching his.

"You know you'll be happier with me."

With both of his hands on his torso, Rin pushed himself away, his face flustered. "Sosuke."

The ex swimmer put up a warm smile, "Are you sure about this?"

Silent at first, Rin nodded. "I want to try and save my marriage with Haru as much as I can."

The ex swimmer could see the determination in Rin's eyes to save whatever he had left with Haru. Sosuke didn't see what was there left to save as their marriage was already on the rocks before Haru discovered Rin was cheating with him. It was sad to watch Rin suffer like this.

He remembered as he was offered to be Rin's best man at his wedding and Sosuke was glad for the offer. Even though his feelings for Rin weren't obvious back then, it did get more unbearable as the years went on by as Rin and Haru soon adopted their first child, Saito.

"Because you're important to me, I'll let you go. Just remember I'm always here for you Rin."

Rin chuckled at the statement, "That's how we got into trouble in the first place."

Trying to put up a grave face, "Of course, how could I forget?"

* * *

The sounds of keys dropping to the kitchen bench were the first signs to Rin that his dear husband had finally returned home. After fixing his relationship with Sosuke and finally closing that chapter of his life, he could see Haru had gone sailing again due to how wet his hair had become.

He leaned at the entrance of the kitchen door. He knew that his sister was helping him deal with Haru's issues with him by offering to join him on his sailing adventures. Four months had passed but Rin felt that it only had drawn them more apart.

He loved Haru. He needed him. He needed his hugs and kisses that he loved so much waking up too. He missed his warms arms around his waist and sweet caress voice that he only shared with him.

"Haru," Rin finally spoke, with his arms crossed and still learning on the door entrance of the kitchen. "We need to talk."

His husband finally locked his eyes with him. Even though there was no anger in them no more, it still felt wrong. As if Haru was nothing but an empty shell and his emotions had left him months ago.

"What do you want to talk about this time?"

Rin felt Haru's shoulder bump into him as he walked passed. Rin watched as Haruka poured himself a glass of water.

"I want to fix our marriage."

Suddenly Haruka missed his glass completely as cold water splashed onto the kitchen table top. His eyes widen by the suddenly shocking announcement. Haruka blinked a few times as he tried hard to find the right words to speak.

With his hand still in the puddle of cold water, Haru clenched his fist.

With his voice as cold as the water itself, "What about Sosuke?"

Standing upright finally, "I've ended things with him."

Haruka stared at his husband before walking to the sink to clean up the water he had split. He didn't know if he could trust Rin's words but as he looked at the way he was standing in front of him, he knew he was serious about getting back together with him.

"How ironic," Haru rolled his eyes as he wiped away the water with a sponge, "I was thinking of a divorce."

Rin felt his knees shake and felt like they were going to give way from what he had just heard. He felt his feet shuffle backwards until it touched the kitchen wall. He felt as if his heart had just died from the bad news.

He couldn't believe Haru was ready to let go, but yet again he couldn't blame him. In fact he should have seen this happening a mile away even since Saito was introduced into their lives.

After taking in a few seconds to accept Haru's words, "A-Are you sure?"

Haru could hear the desperation in his husband's voice as he took a drink from his glass. "We are getting nowhere Rin. You know that."

Having a hard time accepting that his marriage was literally on the brink of falling apart, "What about we go see a marriage counselor?!" Rin was getting desperate.

Haru dropped his empty glass onto the kitchen bench and stared at his husband. The way he was looking at him he knew he really wanted them to work out. His ruby eyes that he admired were on the brink of breaking down as water began to build up in his eyes. Haru glanced away and pondered for a moment.

Half of him wanted to get back with Rin and the other was tired of loving him. He was stuck at a crossroad and had no idea which way to head down.

After having a minute to roughly get his mind up Haruka glanced back at his husband. "Fine,"

* * *

"So, Rin and Haruka Nanase, we will now go into some personal questions here. I hope that is fine for both of you."

Both husbands nodded as the female counselor who was sitting opposite of them flipped through her notes. She readjusted her glasses and both looked at the professional swimmers.

"After hearing what you both had to say, I believe your marriage isn't physical but more emotional."

Crossing his arms and leaning on his chair, "That sounds about right." Rin spoke as Haruka remained quiet through the whole ordeal.

"Now, may I ask, when was the last time you guys had sex?"

Both their eyes widen as embarrassment crossed their cheeks. Rin covered his face with his hand as Haruka just tried to look away. Nobody could blame them as it wasn't an everyday conversation topic.

Trying to break through the awkwardness of the topic Haru's voice was heard in the room first. "…on…Rin's birthday…" Haruka tried so hard to make himself stop blushing but he felt his cheeks still red.

"I see. Rin is that true?"

"Ah…um…y-yes…" Rin stuttered. His cheeks were nearly as red as his hair.

"Alright then," The counselor placed her notes down onto her desk. "Now tell me, when was the last time you guys _made love?"_

Taking in another moment Haru answered. "On Rin's birthday."

Haruka glanced over at Rin and saw he was taking his time with answering a simple question he had just answered. Both Haru and the marriage counselor waited for Rin to give an answer but minutes had passed by and Rin still didn't give an answer. Haruka looked into Rin's eyes and could see he was filled with sadness and guilt.

"…so that night… you weren't really…" Haru looked away disgusted as he didn't want to even finish his sentence.

"I see." The woman in the room tried her best to regain composure between the two men. "Then I suggest the next time you both consider to go to bed together, don't just try to have sex but make love."

"…we'll try." Rin's voice finally was heard in the room. He glanced at Haruka who gave back in response a death-like glare at he left the room in a rather foul mood. Rin could hear Haruka slam the door on his way out.

Haruka felt his feet bring him outside of the building and noticed the overcastted weather. There was no sun shining nor did the wind feel warm. Leaning against the wall he body sled down until he was now on the ground. His whole body felt emptier than it did before. He kept looking up at the skies as his ears picked up on the sounds of doors opening.

Footsteps followed and headed his way. Haruka didn't want to look who those feet belonged to as he had a good idea who they belonged too.

"I'll be in the car." Rin's voice was heard before Haru heard his feet shuffle away.

Still sitting on the cold cemented floor Haru closed his eyes as he began to hear the small patters of rain crashing on the rooftop above him.

* * *

Days and nights have passed as Haruka read over his training schedule for the next two weeks. As much he tried to get his mind to focus on his training and qualifications to get into the Olympic Games four years from now, he couldn't, not after what he heard from Rin at the marriage counseling days before. He glanced at the paper on his desk again before slumping back into his chair.

He then raised his hand on where his wedding ring was. Why was it even there still? Nothing was happening between them. Haru felt like he was now on a train waiting for it to crash when he had plenty of time to leave beforehand.

Soon Haruka could feel warm arms placed on his shoulders as Rin's chest was pressed against his back. His fingers naturally letting the paper in his fingers slip and float back onto his desk and Rin's warm lips made contact with the back of his neck. Rin's fingers traced down Haru's chest as Haru closed his eyes for a brief moment and as he opened them up once more he noticed Rin was looking right at him.

Confused at Rin's actions he let his husband play the lead and kiss him on his lips. He felt their tongues clashing and felt Rin pushing forward before something hit within Haru as he placed his hands on Rin's chest and shifted his face away from him.

"Get off." He spoke softly.

He couldn't kiss him any longer. Rin tried to move his face closer to his husband before he felt Haru had pushed him away.

"I can't do this." Haru sat up from his chair and Rin tried to approach him. "Damn it!" Haru hissed.

Shocked, Rin walked up to Haruka and tried to hold his hands. It only lasted a second before Haru withdrew even that privilege.

"But just a moment ago you-"

"And that was just a moment of weakness!" Haruka yelled. Rin was surprised at how quickly Haruka was getting angry towards him. "The longer we kissed the more I see you kissing that bastard Sosuke!" Haru wiped his lips clean. "I can't continue this."

Walking past his husband Rin heard Haruka slam the door shut on him again as he ran his hand through his red hair. His dread began to overcome him as he wondered if he was now fighting a losing battle.

* * *

Under the covers once more Haru opened his eyes to the sound of his phone vibrating beside him; the light on the screen shining bright under the covers. He watched the little device jump up and down a little before letting his hand reach for it. He squinted his eyes at the light and saw Gou's name show up on the screen.

Releasing himself from the covers he answered the call and placed it on loudspeaker. Only his head was above the covers as he waited to hear Gou's voice from the other end of the call.

"Hello Haru?" Gou's sweet voice gave an unexpected smile to Haru's lips.

"Hey." He greeted quietly. Gou noticed his instantly.

"Hey Haru, I was going to call you about if you could help me move into my new apartment this weekend with Nagisa and Rei but maybe now isn't the time. Maybe I'll call another time?"

"No. Don't." Haru spoke bluntly. "Please. Stay."

Gou knew by the way her brother-in-law was talking that he was suffering from his marriage problems with her brother once again. Taking a seat on her bed Gou began to ponder words to get the quiet man talking.

"What happened now?"

Haru clenched his fist into his pillow as he tried to find a way to begin talking. Haru just stared at his phone as he kept on hearing Gou's voice on the other end, calling his name repetitively.

"Your brother…has been cheating on me longer than I thought."

The woman on the other end tried hard to not lose her grip on her phone and at the same time not lose respect towards her older brother.

"I'm giving up on him Gou."

Standing up onto her two feet, "Stay where you are Haru, I'm going to you!"

His eyes widen at Gou's proposal. She was his sister-in-law yet she was going to take his side of the argument? He didn't want to break up Gou's relationship with his brother after all the hard work she did back in their high-school years. But he needed to talk to someone. He didn't care if it had to be Nagisa of all people; he just wanted someone to express his feelings too.

"But what about Rin…?"

"I'm sure he doesn't want to see you like this either."

Lost for words, Haru slipped out a simple yes as he ended the call and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Loud knocks could be heard on the Nanase property. Pulling himself from the couch Rin walked over to the front door to only hear his sister's voice calling for him or Haru to open the door. Rin was confused at why his sister was at his home so late in the night. It didn't take long for him to conclude that Haru must have contacted her or vise versa. Or Nagisa has somehow found out what happened and contacted her.

Either way, she was here now and there was no way he could turn her back. Not in his condition.

Opening the door Gou was glad to see Rin was there and finally opened the door. Her hair was in a mess and saw it wasn't in its usual ponytail and her clothes were in a mismatch and she was out of breath.

"Hey Rin," Gou greeted. "Sorry for coming over so late."

"Did Haru call you?" Rin went straight to the point.

"No, in fact I called him." Rin moved out of the way and let his sister in as he closed the door behind him. "I actually was calling in to see if you guys can help me move into this new apartment but then I heard Haru's voice. It was so sad and depressing that I couldn't help but come over because I knew you need my help as well." The young woman placed her handbag onto the kitchen counter.

"…how is he? I mean when you were talking on the phone with him." Rin followed his sister to the kitchen.

"…sad of course. I don't know what happened between you guys but I can't stand either of you in pain like this." Gou reached out a tray and a glass from the cupboards in the kitchen. "And we know how bad Haru can stay in his room when he gets super depressed."

Rin recalled the first time he had seen Haru depressed. It was when he had his first major fight with Makoto and he was also losing his drive to swim. That was when they took their first trip to Australia and showed him the swimming scene over there.

"Hey, drink this." Rin was snapped back into reality when he saw his sister handing him a glass of water. "I care for you too, you know." Gou managed to pull up a smile for her brother. Rin felt grateful with his sister's concern for him after all the trouble he had brought to Haru and to her.

"You always cared for me, no matter what trouble I pull you into." Rin chuckled.

"Well that's part of the job of being siblings." Gou laughed as she pulled out some leftovers and began to heat it up. "Well I'm going to Haru now and give him something to eat. We can't have his diet and training for the Games gets affected, now can we?"

The microwave's timer finally went off as Gou opened the microwave door and pulled out the reheated leftovers. She handed a plate to her brother and the rest was placed on a tray with a glass of water to accompany the meal.

As Gou began to make her way to Haru's room, Rin spoke up. "Thanks again Gou."

The young woman glanced over her shoulder, and smiled warmly back at her brother and she turned her attention back to Haruka. Rin watched her sister to make sure she wouldn't trip over herself while heading to Haru's room as he began to understand why Haruka always enjoyed hanging out with her.

* * *

Minutes passed as Gou stood by Haruka's door, holding the tray of food and glass of water in her hands. The longer she stood by the door the more she worried that Haruka had done something horrible to himself. She couldn't imagine losing Haru after the years of friendship they had ever since high school. Even if they knew each other since they were young it was only through high school that they really grew close.

Soon she heard the lock click and the door was opened to her finally. Walking in she noticed Haru was walking back to his bed. Placing the tray of food on an empty desk Gou closed the door behind her and walked over to Haru who was looking like trash.

His hair was in a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. He was only dressed in his shirt and shorts and looked like he didn't have a wink of sleep since their last conversation. Taking a seat beside the broken down man Gou stared at him quietly and waited for him to open up to her.

"I…I can't do it anymore Gou." His hair was covering the emotions in his eyes. "The more I try the more I get hurt." He covered his face with his hands.

Gou felt her heart breaking the more she watched Haru suffer. She reached her hands over to his face and slowly pulled his hands away. She held his hands tightly and this caused Haru to turn to face her.

"It's ok." She softly spoke. "We'll always be family even if you end things with my brother." She held his hands tighter. "I don't want you to continue suffering like this. This isn't you Haru."

Gou stared at Haru for a little longer before he slipped his hands away from her before pulling her into an embrace. Gou was left shocked at Haru's rare gesture as she just stood still in his arms.

"Is it really ok?" He asked a second time for reassurance. "Would you blame me if I did divorce your brother? Would things between us stay the same?"

The young woman was confused at Haru's deep and meaningful words. She had no words to muster in time before Haruka started talking again.

"It's just…" Gou felt Haru's arms holding her a little more tightly again. "I…just don't want to lose what we have now."

Gou was lost as she felt her mind run a million miles an hour. She had no idea she meant a lot to her brother-in-law. Still too shocked to move Gou felt Haru bury his head in the cranny of her neck as his grip on her was loosening up.

"I…don't want to lose you." Haru spoke, his voice starting to drop into a whisper.

And before Gou could finally speak she noticed the young man had fallen asleep on her. His body started to fall backwards before Gou reached out and pulled him back up without hurting him too much. As she held the sleeping man in her arms for a few seconds she couldn't help but gaze at his wonderful facial features.

She gazed at the way his dark navy blue hair with crossed his face and how wonderful his lips were to kiss. Gou felt her cheeks heat up at the idea of kissing Haru and quickly yet softly placed the man down on his bed. Standing up she recomposed her and tucked Haru in. Without herself noticing her fingers were running through his hair before pulling herself back.

Holding her right hand, "Damn it Gou, he isn't a child that you can touch his hair just like that!" Gou scolded herself quietly.

Walking away she reached over for the food that she originally made for Haruka and reached for the glass of water and placed it on his bedside table. Even if he missed out on dinner at least he had something to drink in the morning.

Her ruby eyes made her way on the sleeping man once again and couldn't help but smile at his beauty as she finally made her way out.


	5. Chapter four:

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

"So I guess this is the place."

Nagisa, Rei and Haru looked from the message Gou had texted Nagisa with. They looked up at the apartment before looking back down on the message. They all wanted to make sure they were at the right place. With some confidence that they were indeed in the right place, Rei knocked on the door hoping that the person that would answer it will be Gou. A few rings later Gou answered the door with wearing casual clothing with her hair tied up into a bun.

"Glad to see you boys could make it."

"Of course we'll come help Gou out!" Nagisa cheered as he went to give a light embrace to her.

Rei lifted up his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "If there is a chance where I don't have Nagisa clinging on me like a lost child, I will take that opportunity gladly."

Gou gave off a light chuckle, not sure to take what Rei said as a compliment or not. Soon she turned to Haru who was silent at ever. He looked like he was in deep in his own thoughts before noticing she was looking at him. Haruka gave a small smile and wave in response.

"Glad to see you're here too."

"You did so much for me. It's only fair."

His words made her heart race a little but Gou thought little of it. She turned back to Rei and Nagisa and with a determined look on her face she placed her hands on her waist.

"Let's get some house cleaning done!" She cheered as she fist pumped into the air.

Haruka sighed. "I thought we were here to help you move into his new place, but sure, whatever."

It took nearly the whole day to help sort and unpack Gou's things. There were constant conversations happening all over the place so unpacking the towers of boxes in the rooms didn't really felt that bad. There were also huge black plastic garbage bags that was filled with crumpled up or ripped newspaper that were used to wrap up any fragile items.

The sun began to set when Nagisa suggested to idea to eat. Haruka offered to cook for them all but with all the glares he received in response told him that they weren't up for that. In the end, after ten minutes of discussing the idea of ordering pizza was established. The laughter from all of them filled up the emptiness of the apartment as they retold their old stories from high school and even the stories where Haru had already graduated. In return Haru talked about life in Tokyo and how hard training could be at times.

As much Haru wanted to share all the funny stories he had with Makoto he knew now wasn't the time to share them. It was a shame because he knew they would laugh or tease him or Makoto about it.

"Alright then, we got to get going." Nagisa yawned and stretched his arms into the air.

Rei pushed his boyfriend's arms down. "Please cover your mouth when you yawn." Rei sometimes he felt he was Nagisa's mother than partner.

As Rei slowly dragged his boyfriend from the apartment Gou sighed and took a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her. She had forgotten how much hard work moving into a new place could be. She looked at Haruka who closed the lid of the pizza box before he noticed Gou was staring at him.

"Did you want some?" He offered the box to her.

With her hand up, "I'm full thanks."

"Alright." And with that the swimmer headed his way to the kitchen as Gou looked around her apartment.

She smiled at how well it looked for only been unpacking for a few days in. She soon could smell the sweet aroma of tea as she slumped into her sofa. With the coffee table only inches from her, she stretched to reach the remote to only be blocked up two mugs filled with hot tea.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Gou asked as she made room for Haru to sit beside her. A few seconds had passed before Gou remembered why. "Ah…crap. Sorry Haru."

Blowing into his hot drink. "It's fine." He muttered before taking a sip. "Anyway I came to let you know that I'm planning to end things between me and your brother."

Gou felt a little disappointed hearing the news as she rested her head on the arm of her couch. "It's sad to hear that but if that is what makes you happy Haru then I'm in no right to stop you."

"Thank you. It means a lot coming from you."

Minutes flew by as Gou closed her eyes for a moment before hearing the small drops of rain echo from outside. It felt relaxing to listen to it and let her whole body shut down before she remembered the tea that Haru had made for her was going cold. She sat upright and reached over for her drink before noticing Haruka was lost in his thoughts again.

"Haruka?" Gou began. "Your marriage with Rin…was the cheating stuff the main reason why you're going to divorce him?"

Haruka put his empty mug onto the coffee table and turned to face Gou. "Remember Saito?"

Gou's face went grim at hearing the boy's name again. She smiled at remembering her little nephew. Her heart jumped at the news after hearing her brother and Rin were going to adopt a little boy. She was so happy for them and could already imagine the crazy things and gifts she was going to give to him. It was funny that when she finally met him a few days later she noticed how beautiful his blue eyes were and how red his hair was.

He was only five when they met. That little boy could put a smile on anybody's face. It had now been years since she had heard his name or even bothered to look at a photo of him.

"Yes." Gou looked away for a moment. "He was such a sweet kid."

Keeping himself together in front of his sister-in-law. "Well things were rough when Saito died. I think losing Saito caused Rin to cheat on me as a way to deal with his loss."

The young woman didn't want to remember the day of the funeral of her little nephew. Saito was eight at this point when she watched them place that infamous white blanket over the boy's body. She could only watch from the entrance of the room as she saw her older brother clinging onto Haru for support. Haruka was too quite that it didn't feel right and her brother was just screaming for Saito to come back.

The boy was only eight. Why did the cruel faith of life decided to say that was enough for him? It had now been a year since they lost him yet the pain still felt too real.

"I loved your brother so much; even more when we got married. Then when Rin suggested the idea to adopt I couldn't help but already imagine teaching him or her to swim." Haruka smiled at that idea before continuing on. "But with Saito in our lives I couldn't be with him or Rin as much as I wanted due to my training for the last Games. I was training hard for the three of us but when I noticed that Saito didn't want to hang around with me anymore I knew I was doing something wrong."

"…Haruka." Gou muttered as she held her warm drink in her hands. She didn't know where to even start her sentence. Soon Haruka just kept on going.

"Every time I got back home I noticed that Rin didn't want to hang with me anymore due to how I was putting my training in front of him and Saito. So to fix that, I planned to take a whole month off and have the three of us go camping."

Gou remember the phone conversation she had with Rin about how annoyed he was with Haruka always out with his training. He understood him of course because he was a professional swimmer himself but he didn't adopt Saito to raise him by himself. He needed both his fathers by his side.

"And everything was working. I felt Rin wanted me again and Saito was warming up to me again but things started to happen. During the whole trip Saito was getting these horrible headaches. At first we thought it was because he was tired but they were getting too intense that he was screaming and couldn't sleep at night. When we came back we discovered that…"

"Saito had brain cancer." Gou cut in.

Haruka closed his eyes to take in a minute to rest. "Yeah."

It didn't take long for Haruka to start crying from retelling the ordeal of losing his son. Gou scooted in closer to help comfort her brother-in-law.

"And we needed to give him an operation to save him. But because he was a child it was so risky. If Saito ever survived it there was a chance he wouldn't be the same boy we all loved. Rin was too devastated to make a call so I made the decision to go through with the operation even with the risks."

By telling the story to Gou Haru's body started to slid sideways as his head rested on her shoulder. Gou didn't mind it as she wanted to do anything she can to lift the burden from Haruka's shoulders.

"But Saito didn't make it from the complications and things went sour from there. Rin didn't talk to me nearly at all, we were never home at the same time and we hardly ate dinner at the table together. We reached the point where we didn't share the same bed for months."

"So why didn't you tell any of this to me earlier?" Gou rubbed Haruka's back to help him calm down.

"It never came across my mind. I was too destroyed to talk to anyone. Even talking to my parents about it would just make me feel more upset than I needed to be."

Haru turned in his spot to where his forehead was resting on Gou's shoulders as he found the sudden urge to hug her. It didn't take long for him to burst into tears as he continued to cry into her shoulder and held her a little more tightly. Lost and unsure what to say Gou continued to rub his back.

"Did Saito die because I was a hopeless father and useless husband?!" Haruka screamed, clearly irritated with the way he acted when Saito was still alive. "Is this my punishment?!"

Haruka's tears kept on pouring as Gou held Haruka back. "This isn't your fault Haru! You did all that training and work for them so you could all live together and give Saito a bright future!"

"Then why was he taken from us?!" Haruka still refused to look Gou in the eyes. He instead lifted his face where his chin was now resting on her shoulder.

"I wish I knew Haru!" Gou finally snapped back. "Now please stop blaming yourself for Saito's death. You did what was best for him. You call the operation because you wanted him to live. You went off to work to give the things Saito needed in life. You had a son with my brother to be happy!"

Haruka lifted himself away from Gou and saw she was starting to cry as well.

"That's like saying Makoto cheating on me was some sort of punishment for me for being a horrible person as well."

Stunned, "Gou you know that that isn't true-"

"Then the same principle lies with you! Why do you believe all of this is all punishment for being happy and doing what was right to save your son's life? Any parent would risk the chance to do anything to save their child because it's better than doing nothing at all!"

Haruka wondered how Gou could always find a way to talk some sense to him. Was it because they were both handed an unlucky hand from the gods of life or was there something more? Was it the comfort of a friend that only she could give him that even his parents nor husband could provide for him?

What kind of influence did this red head woman have over him that could make him open up like this?

"You fought to keep Saito alive. You fought to keep your marriage intact with my brother until the very end. It's just sometimes we don't always win that battle but that doesn't mean we were wrong to believe otherwise."

Her dazzling ruby eyes, her wonderful long locks of red hair and her charming smile and her cute laughter. Haru knew all these signs as he felt them before for a certain man. He pressed tightly on her shoulders as he tried to clear his thoughts of Gou in his mind. His heart was racing much faster than he wanted it too.

He wanted his heart to stop with these crazy feelings. He wasn't ready yet his body craved for her warm embraces and her comfort. He started to pull himself from her and looked away before feeling Gou had reached out for his hand.

"Are you sure your okay now?"

He shifted his eyes from staring on the floor to the dazzling ruby eyes Gou hand. Without even knowing it his fingers intertwined with Gou's as he held her hand tight. Somehow Gou's fingers replied and intertwined and soon their hands were locked. Still with only a few centimeters apart he moved his body close enough that he could hear the beating of her heart beating like crazy. He felt something strange in him; telling him to move closer to her face before his mind finally spoke and pulled his face away from Gou's.

He slipped his hand away from her. "Sorry." Haruka tried to cover up his embarrassed face with the back of his hand. "I-I'll head off now."

Gou nodded as she watched Haruka make his way away from her. Just watching him leave was already giving her heart quite the heartache.

* * *

"Come on Gou. The water isn't ankle deep yet." Haruka yelled.

The professional swimmer watched as he tried hard not to laugh. Gou was only a few steps away from him. He watched on from the deep end as Gou was standing by the water. The water was just hovering above her ankles yet her body was frozen in fear. Haruka couldn't help but laugh at the scared look all over Gou's face.

"This isn't funny Haru!" Gou yelled as she threw a small sea shell at him. "This is scary stuff!"

Having his fun Haru swam over to her and stood up onto his feet. He flicked his hair a few times to get water out of it before looking at Gou. He could see her face went red for a moment before looking away.

Ignoring her flustered face, "Do I need to hold your hand again?"

Quiet for a moment. "Well you carried me on your back last time." Gou corrected.

"Anyway you won't drown. You got those remember?" Haruka pointed at the floaters wrapped around Gou's arms. "They'll keep you safe alongside your life jacket."

"Still it feels weird that these small things are going to prevent me from ending up at the bottom of the ocean." Gou looked disheartened at her yellow floaters wrapped on her arms, poking them lightly.

Haruka offered his hands to Gou. "Then let me help."

The lingering thought of Haruka nearly kissing her crossed her mind as she looked at his hands. The way their fingers intertwined came back to her as Gou could feel her face heat up once again. But as much her mind told her not dwell into those thoughts no longer her body craved for his touch again. So without anymore hesitation Gou reached for the swimmer's hands and held them tight as Haruka slowly started to move backwards.

Gou felt her body was ready to freeze up on her the deeper Haruka walked. She could feel the water rise up to her knees, then her waist and slowly up past her breasts. Haru could feel the woman's nerves due to how tight she was holding onto his hands.

Soon it reached to the point where Gou's feet were barely touching the sand. "I think I should head back now."Gou started to struggle as she wanted to head back to shore.

"Stay."

Glancing back Gou felt her body suddenly being pulled forward and soon she was into the arms of Haru. Her mind was running a million miles an hour trying to think of anything to say.

"Just hold onto me."

"A-Alright." The woman stuttered as she secured her grip on Haruka.

She looked around and could see the whole sea and the many islands in the distance. The view was great from where their standing and even the view of seeing the shore was great too. But the only thing Haru was looking at was the nervous woman in his arms. It soon didn't take too long for Gou to notice him staring.

"Gou?"

"Yes?"

Confused at why Haruka suddenly called her name Gou went back to looked at the water around her and noticed how clear it was. Having the feeling that she was still watched she looked back up at Haruka and noticed how red his face was at. She felt his arms around her tighten before feeling his face locking up at her and their lips colliding.

The sudden kiss was passionate and sweet. Instead of pulling away like she should have done she raised her arms from holding on Haru's waist and placed them over his shoulders. Their tongues touching as the heat of their kiss went on.

But it was Haru that suddenly stopped and pull away from Gou. With a flustered face we walked to more shallow water and dropped Gou down. Her cheeks were nearly as red as her hair.

"I'm sorry." Haruka nervously spoke as he avoided any eye contact with the woman. He turned on the spot and headed towards the ocean before feeling Gou stopping him by walking in front of him. Her arms spread out wide to stop him from going any further.

"I'm sorry too." She replied.

Confused. "For what? I'm…the one that kissed you."

"But I didn't hold back." Gou put her arms down. "Haru…that kissed meant something, didn't it?"

More embarrassed that he was before, he nodded. "I've grown to like you a lot Gou." Lost for words the woman let Haru talk more. "I thought this was just a crush but I think I'm passed that point now."

The woman in front of him was confused. It was so clear during high school that Haruka never once had any interest in girls. She heard from Nagisa that Haru's first love was a god damn waterfall and if he was asked who he would date if he was a girl, he boldly said Makoto. He even married his brother years later. So when did he start liking women? It was so out of the blue.

"I didn't think this would happen. I've never had interest in women before and you know that." Haruka sighed. "But the more time we spent together I started I really like looking at you. I like the way your hair compliments your figure and your eyes. Also I find it funny that you still fan girl over muscles after all these years." Gou noticed a soft smile crept across Haru's face. "You make me feel happy Gou. Like really happy to the point that maybe it won't be _that_ impossible to make you mine."

"I…I didn't see this coming." Gou blushed at Haruka's wonderful words. "Haruka…"

Haruka bowed his head as a form of apology. "I'm sorry for saying all of these things to you or kissing you like that all of a sudden. I know you're still hurt from Makoto and so am I with Rin. Maybe what I'm feeling is just a stupid little crush…oh…I don't know." Haruka muttered towards the end of his sentence. "All of this doesn't make any sense."

The swimmer soon heard Gou laughing softly before bursting into hard laughter. He wanted to get mad at her but he just couldn't find it in him to hate her, after admitting to her and himself that he indeed was interested in her.

"Oh Haruka, you're so cute." She laughed. "You never were the one that was good at planning. That was always my job." She smiled. "But if it makes you feel any better I'll admit it that I am starting to get interested in you. But I'm worried that we are using each other as rebounds and I don't want to treat you or make you feel that way."

Feeling a little better after hearing what Gou said Haruka reached for her hand slowly. He paused a few moments before fully committing to it. He held her fingertips lightly.

"Then I'll prove it." Haruka spoke, surprisingly confidently. "I promise I won't make any moves until I settle things with Rin first. I won't make you feel like a rebound or anything like that."

Holding onto his finger tips as well, "You've changed a lot you know." She joked.

Nodding, "Yeah, this caught me off guard as well."

* * *

Rin noticed the bright head lights that poured from his living room window before looking at the wall clock in the room. It was just past 10pm which was an unusual time for Haruka to be out. As swimmers he knew how early their training could start at so staying past ten on a weekday was signing anyone up a grueling day. Putting his tablet down, he opened the door and watched from the distance and noticed his sister's car and Haruka walking out from it.

He caught a glance of his smile and how he was laughing so carefree like he use to be with him. He hated how only his sister and their close group of friends were able to see it now after what he did to him. Rin crossed his arms, hating to admit that he probably deserved anything he got now from Haruka. After cheating on a man that had only be faithful for nine years Haruka didn't need to get anymore bullshit heading his way. He deserved to be happy.

But was that path to happiness involve him with Haru still? Could Haruka be happy with him still after cheating on him? Did he even deserve that kindness from him again?

Soon the sound of the ignition rumbled in the air and the bright headlights from Gou's car faded away into the darkness of the night. Rin watched his husband smile and wave to his little sister before noticing him. He smile quickly vanished as soon his eyes met his husband as he slowly walked up to the front door.

"So where have you been?" Rin asked as soon his husband reached the door. He took a few steps back to let Haruka in, still waiting his answer from him.

His husband dropped his bag onto the coffee table with his back facing him. "So, you're my mother now?"

"I'm your husband Haru." Rin reminded.

Haruka nearly wanted to choke after hearing those words from him. "Yes you were, for the last nine years of my life."

Rin felt like his heart dropped. But he should have expected this. He hated himself otherwise of thinking that Haruka would change his mind on it.

"So…after all this time…"

Rin watched as Haruka walked into the kitchen as he watched on.

Pouring himself a glass of water into a hard plastic cup. "I tried Rin. You know that." Haruka was still avoiding looking at his husband. He could see his hands were shaking as he poured the water into his glass before he just gave way. "I tried…I tried…" He muttered over and over again as he put the jug of water down onto the table.

"Haruka please, maybe there is another way. Maybe I should move out to my mother's now that Gou has a place of her own to stay and-" Rin stopped as soon he noticed Haruka was starting to cry. It was a rare gesture he did as half the time he was emotionless and quiet.

"I want to love you again but I can't. I've tried. Anytime you come close to me I keep of thinking that Sosuke touching you instead, his lips on yours and not mine!" He yelled as he slammed his fists onto the table. "But it's my fault that you started looking at him. I mean maybe if I spent one less day at work then maybe I would have noticed Saito's health and could have stopped that damn cancer hitting him…"

Haruka slammed the cup of water in front of him, spilling water all over the kitchen tiles. Rin raced forward a little before backing off. He admitted to himself that Haru being not home all the time was the cause of him looking somewhere else but their son getting cancer? It was never his fault or his. In fact he admired his husband's courage to call the operation even with its risks when all he could do was yell and blame the universe for their son's illness.

"Haru…Saito getting sick…was never your fault."

But Haru just kept on crying as his body slowly sunk to the floor. He remembered Gou saying similar things to him but the burden was still on his shoulders and they were so heavy. But that wasn't the only reason he couldn't love his husband anymore.

His heart was now only fueled with the desire to be with Gou and prove to her she wasn't just some rebound from his current relationship with Rin. He wanted to show her and that desire was what was keeping him hopeful that there was still some light out there in the world.

He couldn't just blurt in front of his husband that he was in love with someone else. It wouldn't make him any different to what Rin did with him with Sosuke.

"Haruka…I know you don't want to hear this but…I still love you. Please, let me show you that I want to be with you still. Let me try to fix this mess up."

Rin tried to reach his hand out to the depressed man before he felt Haruka just slap it away from him.

"You shouldn't love someone like me. You're wasting your time."

Now on his knees, "No you haven't. All you've done for me in these past nine years was being faithful and love me. I'm surprised we got this far after what I did. I can understand why you want to end things off…but having the idea that I'll be losing you for good hurts Haru." Rin sighed. "And maybe I deserve all this pain I'm getting because out of us two, I'm the horrible person here."

"You don't understand!" Haruka screamed.

"Then tell me!" Rin was getting irritated seeing Haru all upset because of him.

"You need to stop trying to love me!"

"And why not?!"

"Because I'm falling for someone else!"

Rin for a moment felt his whole heart had died on him and was now nothing but an empty shell in the inside. "…You're lying…"

Having enough of talking to Rin Haruka finally stood up and try to head out before feeling Rin holding tight onto his wrist. He tried to break free from his grasp but still felt Rin pulling back.

"You're lying so you can convince me to give up aren't you?"

Finally Haruka was able to escape from Rin's grasp of him. He refused to look his husband in the eye.

"…I'll be in the spare room."

And with those words, Haru left the scene as Rin slowly rose up from the tiles. Holding himself together he picked up the plastic cup that Haru knocked down earlier. He sighed as he began to start his search for the mop, only wishing that his problem could be easily cleaned away like water.

* * *

It must have been pass midnight when Rin decided to finally rest. But his current mood and the drama he just went with his husband made going to be alone even harder to do. He stared at the bed that was meant for two and looked away. By now he would have Haru sleeping as peacefully as he would quietly slip beside him. Sometimes it was their son Saito that would cheekily slip in between them as they slept only to wake up shocked to see him there with them.

" _Those days…are really gone aren't they?"_

As soon he was ready to change into a new pile of clothes he heard soft laughter from the other side of the wall.

"That's right. Haru is sleeping in the guest room again."

Rin was only able to change his shirt before his curiosity got the better of him. He walked out of the room in the hopes to see Haru one more time before bed. He noticed that the door was slightly opened and with the vision he had he could see Haruka laughing just a little. Rin tapped the door lightly to open it a little wider without causing any shock or notice.

He saw Haruka was in bed with his back facing the door. He wasn't talking but rather was listening to whoever he was talking on the other side of the phone. Rin came to the conclusion it was either Nagisa or Rei that was talking too. Satisfied, the swimmer was ready to head back when he heard Haru speak.

"He still loves me."

Due to the distance of the phone Rin couldn't pick up who his husband was talking too.

"Rin…he wants to prove to me that we still have a thing. I mean I can't blame him. Nine years isn't something you _just_ throw away."

Still silent Rin kept on quiet.

"But…my want to be with him is gone…and I feel so horrible."

Angry muttering was heard from Haru's phone.

"I'm serious with what I said to you earlier. You're not a rebound and I'll prove it."

Controlling his emotions Rin slowly convinced himself to stay a little longer or just enough until their conversation was over at least.

"You said that too didn't you? That I'm not your rebound either? I'm hanging onto your words because I feel like it's the only thing I know that is worth holding onto."

Rin could hear laughter but was too devastated to clear out of it was a man's or not.

"Yeah, it's a little cheesy but after what we went through I don't mind it at all."

He could hear both parties laugh a little.

"Alright alright, it's late. I'll let you go. Goodnight…"

Hearing the sound of the call being disconnected Rin quietly made his way to his own room without trying to get the attention of his husband. A loud thump was heard when Rin's face crashed into his pillow. He wrapped his hands around the pillow before screaming into it. He screamed words from swear words to questioning where everything started to fall apart.

Lifting his face away he noticed he was crying. Not feeling bothered by them he closed his eyes.

"If you're going to fall in love again Haruka, please don't let it be with Gou." He begged. " _Please_."


End file.
